Honeycomb girders and method for making same



Nov. 8, 1966 F. I rrzKA 3,283,464

HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May l0. 19609 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR, Franz L ifzka Ross Madam Nov. 8, 1966 F.LlTzKA 3,283,454

HoNEYooMB GIRDERs AND METHOD Fon MAKING SAME original Filed May 1o. web9 sheets-sheet 2 P l J bl L 3 55.30 55.3/ 55.32 ab I N VEN TOR.-

Franz Lifzka Nov. 8, 1966 F. LlTzKA 3,283,464

HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May 10, 19609 Sheets-Sheet 5 r 6:8 31a a 69'.; iii- 67 6 6- f 58 INVENTpR: FranzL/zka Nov. 8, `1966 F. Ln'zKA 3,283,464

HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May l0. 19609 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TORI Franz Lizka HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHODFOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May 10, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 7/0 Il 1 H1 IN VEN TOR.' Franz Lizka Nov. -8, 1966 F. LlTzKA M 3,283,464

HONEYGOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May l0. 19609 Sheets-Sheet 6 E .gl 'a l 16.0

IN VEN TOR.' Franz Lizka Nov. 8, 1966 F. I rrzKA 3,283,464 Y HONEYCOMBGIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May l0, 1960 9Sheets-Sheet 7 far aa -l l ifKKKMKKM((((((((((((W l IN VEN TOR. Franz Lizka Tm: Madam Nov. 8, 1966 F. LlTzKA 3,283,464

HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May l0, 19609 Sheets-Sheet 8 Nov. 8, 1966 F. LnzKA 3,283,464

HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Original Filed May I0, 19609 Sheets-Shee 9l I N VEN TOR.' Franz L fzka United States Patent O3,283,464 HONEYCOMB GIRDERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Franz Litzka,Haus-Nr 29, Marktredwitz,

Bavaria, Germany Qrignal application May 10, 1960, Ser. No. 28,054, now

Patent No. 3,197,610, dated July 27, 1965. Divided and this applicationOct. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 409,345

Claims priority, application Germany, May 13, 1959 L 33,217 8 Claims.(Cl. 52-636) This application is a division Vot' my application Ser. No.28,054, tiled May 10, 1960, now U.S. Patent No. 3,197,610 issued July27, 1965.

The invention concerns the manufacture of honeycomb girders withimproved load-bearing strength and to a method for producing suchgirders.

The invention moreover concerns the solution of Ithe problem of aligningand guiding girder sections whose webs have a sawtooth-likelconfiguration in such a manner that the webs can be welded togetherdirectly or via interposition web plates manually, semior fullyautomatically.

Such girder sections, the cross-section of which can have anyconguration, are obtained by cutting the webs of solid girders, thecutting line extending approximately in the shape of a continuousundulation or saw-tooth line.

The separated girder sections are then relatively transposed along theirlongitudinal axes to the extent that the individual tooth-likeprojections of the web are situated opposite one another to enable thegirder sections to be welded .together at these projections. Hencehoneycomblike apertures are formed between the projections. Suchhoneycomb girders welded together and known per se are distinguished bya greater depth of web relative to that of the original solid web girderand consequently by greater bending strength. If a honeycomb girder iscompared with a solid web girder of equal size it is ascertained thatthe honeycomb girder is substantially lighter and, owing -to the savingin material, substantially less costly.

The separation of single-I section girders and the manual welding of thewebs of these girder 4sections is known. The manual welding methodhowever involves the considerable diiiiculty in that the separatedgirder sections lose their constancy of shape and have therefore to bewelded together in an irregular state. The time required for alignmentto straighten out the girder sections is so great that it is notpossible to obtain a substantial saving in cost by comparison `withnormal I-shaped girders having a deep web.

An object of the present invention is to straighten, within a short timeand in a simple manner, girder sections which are bent due to theirseparation and at the same time to eiect the transposition of theindividual girder sections thus making it possible for the straightenedgirder sections to be welded manually and also semiautomatically orfully automatically in a single operation.

According to the present invention a honeycomb girder comprises at leasttwo girder sections interconnected by welding, which are formed byseparating the web of a solid web girder along a line of toothedconfiguration, the two parts thus formed being welded together againafter being shifted through about half a tooth length or undulationperiod the honeycomb -girder can be provided with web extension plateswelded between the respective webs of the two parts to increase thebearing strength of the girder and/or at least in part provided with ashape in which Vthe anges are curved or bent and/or deviate from theirnormal positions parallel to one another.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method forproducing honeycomb girders a solid web Vgirder is severed along a lineof toothed conguration, the two parts of the girder thus produced beingtransposed longitudinally relative to one another by a distance equal toapproximately half a tooth spacing and welded together. t

A further particularly advantageous step may consist in providing theunder surfaces of the girder webs, at the beginning and/or end of theintended weld seam, with ledges or blocks of non-weldable materialpressed thereagainst which, at least in the region of the welds, mayhave groove-like depressions to form the weld seams on the underside ofthe girder webs and alsoat the beginning and end of the weld seam.

i The invention will be described further, by way of example-withreference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIGS.,1 and 3 areside-elevational views of known type honeycomb girders but constructedby the method of the instant invention;

FIGS. 2 and 4 are respective corresponding plan views;

, FIGS. 5 and 7 to 18 are side-elevational views of girders which areconstructed in accordance with the method'of "theinvention, i.e. inhoneycomb form;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section throughv the girder ofY FIG.'5; Y

FIG. 19is a plan View of an example showing the use of a ycurvedhoneycomb girder;

' FIG. 20 is'a' plan view, partly in section, showing a further example.ofwthe use of a curved honeycomb girder; i

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary plan View, partly in section, of anotherexample of .the use of a honeycomb girder;

FIG. 22 is a plan view incorporating various types of honeycomb girdershaving additional bracing elements;

FIGS. 23 to 27 are sections on the lines XXIII- )CGIL XXIV-XXIV,XXV-"XXV, XXVI-XXVI and v XXVII-XXVII respectively of FIG. 22;

FIGS. 28 and 29 are cross-sections through a further honeycomb girder;`

FIGS.- 30 to .32 are partial elevational views of honeycomb girdershaving bracing yelements acting as web plates;

FIG. 33 is a plan view showing ledges of non-weldable material whi-chare pressed against a girder web in the region of the welding point;

FIG. 34 is a Icorresponding cross-section;

FIG. 35 is a plan view showing a supporting device for inserting webplates between the girder webs;

FIG. 36 is a corresponding cross-section;

FIG. 37 is a plan view showing a lifting device by means of which theledges shown in FIGS. 33 and 34 are urged against the Igirder webs;

FIG. 38 is a corresponding cross-section;

FIG. 39 is a plan view showing a welding plant adapted to producetaper-ing honeycomb girders;

FIG. 40 is an end elevation taken from the left-hand side of FIG. 39;

FIG. 4l is a plan view of an alternative type of welding plant to .theone shown in FIG. 39;

FIG. 42 is a diagrammatic plan of a welding plant for producing ahoneycomb girder hav-ing a tapering rise at one end at least;

FIG. 43 is a plan showing an example of a welding plant adapted toproduce curved honeycomb girders;

FIG. 44 is a corresponding elevation;

FIG. 45 is a corresponding cross-section;

FIGS. 46 to 49 show further examples of devices for producing curvedhoneycomb girders as alternatives to FIGS. 43 .to 45;

FIGS. 50 to 52 are diagrammatic cross-sectionsthrough welding plants inwhich at least one welding head executes a movement at right angles tothe longitudinal Adirection of movement;

l FIGS. 53 and 54 are cross-sections showing a centerling device, in twodilerent positions, for the automatic ladjustment of a welding head inrelation to the correct ,position of the seam to be welded.

` FIG. 55 is a plan corresponding to FIG. 53;

Y FIG. 56 is a diagrammatic plan of a weld seam;

FIG. 57 is a corresponding cross-section;

` FIG. 58 is a plan of a welding device having a sepairate drivefor awelding head;

FIG. 59 is a diagrammatic cross-section `through a guide roller systemfor producing honeycomb ygirders from metal strips; FIG. 60 is adiagrammatic side elevation of an assem- `bly plant producing girders ofthe type shown in FIG.- 59; FIG. 61 is a corresponding plan; FIG. 62 isa diagrammatic plan of kspot welding plant adapted to align the, girdersections automatically;

FIG. 63 is a corresponding plan;

FIGS. 64 to 71 are cross-sections of differing shapes Aof honeycombgirders, the web sections ofr which are chamfered at ythe side; v

FIGS. 72 and 73 are perspective views of ditering shapes of honeycombgirders, the web sections of which are chamfered at the side; and

FIG. 74 isa cross-sectionthrough la pressing device `for chamfering theweb sections. In the partly known honeycomb girder sections shown inFIGS. 1 to 18 it is assumed, by way of example, that `a double T-shapedsolid-webbed girder is used as the starting material which is processedto form double T-shaped honeycomb girders. It is thus also possible forother lsolid-web girder sections to be used, depending upon Ythe sectionof a honeycomb girder to be produced. In FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown aknown type of solidweb double T-section girder 1, the web of which isseparated along an undulating or trapezoidal line 2.`

Individual girder sections 3a' and 3b are moved apart and thenlongitudinally transposed in sucha manner that projecting web regionsare oppositely disposed, the girder `sections subsequently being weldedtogether again at 5 to produce the openings or honeycombs 4. Thismanufacturing method is generally known but the technical accomplishmentinvolves diiculties which have hitherto been practically impossible toovercome, as the separated girder sections 3a, 3b tend to become greatlydistorted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 it is evident that the honeyt comb girder 3Welded together in the Yabove mentioned manner has a substantiallygreater overall depth than the double T-section girder shown in'FIG. 2,although the weight of the girder 3 has remained the same., Due to thegreater depth of web, the honeycomb girder 3 has a greater resistance tobending than the double'T- 'section girder 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) having asolid web. l In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown a girder having web plates6 inserted between the girder sections 3a and 3b `to further increasethe depth of web, hence increasing the resistance to bending of thehoneycomb girder 3. Welding together such girdersections 3a, 3b withinterposed web plates 6 is hereinafter described as indirect welding ofthe girder sections 3a and 3b. When the web plates 6 are longer than theweb sections 5 there is achieved a qualitatively better start and finishof the weld seam. By successively increasing the lengths of the webplates 6 it is possible to produce tapering honeycomb girders of thetype shown in FIG. 7.

In FIG. 8 there is shown a honeycomb girder having a tapering riseV 8imparted thereto at one or both ends, which rise starts at a region 7.`The center zone of this 4 girder can be of parallel design (FIG. 8) orof tapering design (FIG. 9).

In FIG. 10 there is shown a honeycomb girder cornposed of a straightgirder section 3a and a curved girder section 3e, between which, webplates 6 are inserted. The k'curved girder section 3c may be produced bydeforming a girder section 3b of the type shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 11 there is shown the possibility of both girder sections 3c and3d being bent and welded together with The solid-webbed girder having orwithout web plates. a cutting line 2 (FIG. t 1) of dilerent` periodiclengths is separated, the two periodic lengths in question being z sodimensioned that they conform with the girder sectionsl i of the FIG. 11embodiment curved with different radii. The upper girder sections havingthe greater periodic length than the lower girder sections of smallerperiodic length are then welded together.`

It is also possible to produce curved tapering honey-` comb girders, inwhich the web plates 6, progressively` increasing in length'with respectto the depth of web, are welded between the girder sections 3a, 3b, inorder to i obtain a tapering effect. It is however also possible for`both girder sections, `obtained from a solid-web girder or strip metal,be Welded together with the same graduation, since the diierences inmeasurement resulting during the bending operation can be compensated`by means of the web plates.

These methods of procedure, moreover, also make :it: possible to developother honeycomb girder combinations,; for exampleas shown `in FIGS. 13and 14, in which the i depth of web is greatest at'the points .wheretheyare4 subjectedto the greatest load.

Since it is possible duringthe separation of the solid-` webbed girderto increase or reduce the individuaLthe periodic length of the cuttingline, honeycomb girders of the type shownin FIG. 15 ,may also beproduced in which the honeycomb opening 4, `at the points of vmaximumloading, have a small cross-section and at the othe points have agreatercross-section.

An advantageous embodiment of honeycomb girder is` shown in FIGS. 16VIto 18, proceeding from the fact that two girders of equal .depth of webbutunequalbearing strength are to be produced. In this case a solid webgirder` as shown in FIG. 18 is cut along the line 2.; thus` creatinggirder sections 3a, 3b of dilering shape; the

upper girder section 3a is welded to anothersimilar upperl girdersection in mirror image and two lower girder sections 3b areinterconnected inthe same manner. Thus there are created honeycombgirders od the type shown in FIG. 16 having wide honeycombs 4 andconsequently low bearing strength and honeycomb girders of the typeshown in FIG. 17 having narrow honeycombs 4 and higher bearing strength.In this way a cutting operation is saved. FIGS. 19 to 2l explain thesignificance of producing curved honeycomb girders.

As shown in FIG. 19 a circular girder 3 is constructedy from a pluralityof honeycomb girders, for example, for supporting a gas boiler of anydiameter.

The curved girder` 3 shown -in FIG. 20 is particularly suitable for shedconstructions or other unsupported roofs, it being advisable also to usecurved tapering gird ers of the type shown in FIG. 12. The girderl 3"4has .a connecting part 3e welded thereon adapted to be anged to othergirders, e.g. stanchions. In the case of the girder shown in FIG. 21 thehoneycomb` girder `3" is anged to a cross-girder 156.

Honeycomb girders may advantageously lbe braced.;

Bump or bulge bracings haveY alreadyA will be described the procedurefor bracing the honeycomb itself and/or to return it to a definitestatic shape.

For simplicity sake FIG. 22 shows several bracing alternatives which aredetained in cross-section in FIGS. 23 to 27.

In the embodiment of FIG. 23 bracing elements 133a are of ledge-likedesign and welded ush against the webs 5 of the girder sections on theupper and lower edge of the honeycombs 4. Whether these elements 133aare arranged on one or the other side or on alternate sides can be leftto the discretion of the manufacturer.

In the unit of FIG. 24 ledge-like bracing elements 133b are providedwith slot-shaped recesses at both ends, the width of which correspondsto the thickness of the web of the individual girder sections 3a, 3b.The elements 133b are insertedobliquely in the honeycomb 4 and thendisplaced to the upper and/or lower edge of the honeycomb and finallywelded to the girder web. The width of the recesses may be so selectedthat it corresponds to the maximum web thickness; if thinner webs areused at least one of the Shanks defining the recess is laterallyexpanded to the dimension ofthe thickness of web provided.

Brac'ing elements 133C shown in FIG. 25 are formed in the shape of ahoneycomb and on the one side are welded to the edge of the honeycomband on the other side the end faces of the elements `are supportedagainst protruding points of the web plates 6 (FIG. 22). It is anadvantage to make the web plates 6 longer than the leading edges of thegirder Webs, lsince in this case the welding head can be already igniteda shor-t distance in front of the start of the web. In this manner thereis obtained a Very favourable start and termination of the weld seam. Itis thus an advantage to insert the bracing elements 133e either as atledges or as pre-shaped yokes in the honeycombs 4 and to press them bymeans of double-acting pressure elements, e.g. presses 157, 158, againstthe edge of the honeycomb and to weld them there. The elements are thusprovided with a pre-tension which counteracts the bearing force. It isalso advisable to provide a further lifting cylinder 159, 160 whichcarries the first cylinder 157, 158 .and slides it into and out of thehoneycomb 4. This step is of particular advantage in automatic girderproduction. Instead of the ledge-shaped yokes 133e it is also possibleto use other profiles, e.g. round bars, rods, tubes etc.

In the example shown in FIG. 26 a bracing element 133d acts over thewhole edge of the honeycomb 4 and hence provides an extremely highbracing effect.

Bracing elements 133e and 133i` shown in FIGS. 22 and 27 have a T-shaped cross-section or a similar prole. The element 133e, in themanner shown in FIG. 24 is designed with recesses on either side of theT-shaped ange whereas the element 1331 is inserted in the honeycomb andwelded to the honeycomb edge. In both instances it is advisable tochamfer the T web of the element 133i, 133e, corresponding to thehoneycomb shape.

It is also possible for the bracing elements 133g shown in FIG. 22 to beso arranged that they connect the two girder sections 3a, 3b in -astru-t -like manner. It is thus evident that there are numerouspossibili-ties for additionally bracing a honeycomb girder and toprevent possible deformation of the web regions forming the honeycombs.It is advisable, in particular, to t the bracings at the points of lthegirder most subjected to loading. Thus, for example, bracings arrangedin the center of the girder act as substitute for a barrel-shapedhoneycomb girder. Bracings moreover make it possible to select smallerdimensions than necessary for the girder sections, as the bracingsprovide the necessary safety factor.

The fact that it is not necessary only to interconnect T-shaped girdersis evident from the examples shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, in which it isshown that the lower chord is a solid or hollow round bar 161 orU-shaped profile 162 which, at the connecting points with the uppergirder section 3a are inwardly expanded. Other proles, e.g. L orZ-profiles or simple metal strips may be used for the constructed girderin accordance with the invention.

In the embodimentsshown in FIGS. 30 to 32 are honeycomb girders in whichthe bracing elements 163 to 165 can replace the web plates 6. This isbased on the fact that the cutting line 2 of the honeycomb girdersextends in an undulatory manner so that the direct welding of the girdersections 3a, 3b provides too small a welding seam. The undulatorycutting line moreover provides the advantage that the individual girdersection has a greater rigidity.

The bracing element 163 in the example shown in FIG. 30, embraces in apart region the edge of the web 5. In the case of FIG. 31 the ledge-likebracing element 164 is additionally welded to a bracing plate 134. Asshown in FIG. 32 the girder sections 3a, 3b are somewhat laterallytransposed so that the bracing element 165 is -tangent to the edges ofthe web 5 and forms a wide bridge adapted toreceive 4and transmit theload. Further advantageous girder shapes are shown in FIGS. to 89.

The following explanations are concerned With illustrating the methodsand apparati for producing honeycomb girders of any kind, moreespecially of the shape shown in FIGS. l to 32.

Ledges or blocks of -non-Weldable material especially of copper, whichare advantageous for forming the welding seam, are shown in FIGS. 33 and34 and consist ofV two elongatedledges 20 which are pressed from belowagainst the underside of the web of the girder sections 3a, 3b. At leastone groove-like depression 69 is formed in the surface of those ledges20 which is located in register beneath the welding point 5 (FIG. 3).When depressions 69ihave been formed in all four longitudinal sides ofthe ledges 20 it is possible, by twist-ing the ledges 20 for the use ofnew ledges to be avoided by closing one depression. Blocks 68 abutagainst these elongated ledges 20 which strike against the front andrear end face of the web. On the end face these blocks 68 are alsoprovided with groove-like depressions 70, namely at the point where thewelding seam starts and terminates. The ledges 20 may be cooled bycooling means via conduits 67. A

The clamping device for holding the section comprises, as shown in FIGS.35 and 36, conveniently a comb-shaped upper part 79, the outer prongs ofwhich abut against the webs of the girder sections 3a and 3b. The webplate 6, shown separately in FIG. 36, is retained by a latch 80, 81,which is urged upwardly by means of the compression springs 82. Thus theweb plate 6 is clamped between the comb-like upper portion 79 and thelower portion of the latch 81. As soon as the web plate 6 is held inposition or welded, the clamping devices 79, 80 can be removed again.

A girder 71, which is described in detail with reference to FIG. 37, onwhich is arranged a pedestal -bearing 72 with a lifting cylinder 73 issituated below the working position b.v The piston of the liftingcylinder 73 has a supporting plate 74 connected thereto on which theledges 20 -in accordance with FIGS. 33 and 34, are mounted. A horizontaldouble-acting lifting cylinder 75 is provided between these ledges 20 onthe supporting plate 74 with traverse-like stirrups 76 being connectedto the piston of the cylinder 75, blocks 68, in accordance with FIGS. 33and 34, being journalled at 77 on the ends thereof. When an individualweb plate 6 is to be welded, then the lifting cylinder 73 is rst urgedupwardly so that the ledges 20 strike against the underside of theflanges of the. girder sections 3a, 3b. The lifting cylinder 75 is thencaused to retract resulting in the blocks 68 abutting against the frontand rear end faces of the webs and the web plate 6. The web plate 6 cannow be welded in position. It may also be advisable to use copper rollsin place of the ledges 20, which rolls are on the same level as thewelding head therein to form the underside, of the welding seam.

For producing tapering honeycomb girders a device of `the type shown inFIGS. 39 to 41 is recommended. In this structure, at least two bearingsupports 60a and 60b are adjustable' relative to the longitudinalstringers 'by means of hydraulic presses 99 mounted in a bearing 100.Conveying rollers 45a, 45b of one side are of divided construction andhence each individual part 45a and/ or 45b is independently mounted onthe shafts, the distance 'between these parts may be Varied by choice. A,guiding fdevice 101 situated between the supports 60a and/or 60b `ispivotally `journalled to these'supports 60a and/or 60b lat points 102and 103. In this manner any angular position of the guiding device 10relative to the fixed row of supports 60 is obtained; it being possibleto provide slots `;in the device 101 for adaptation to different angularposi` tions'. The other bridge 61, between the bearing supports 60 inthis device, `is conveniently arranged to be lfixedly located.

As shown in FIGS. 39 and.40, the further the girder .sections 3a, 3b aredisplaced to the` right, the closer -will the bearing supports 60a and60b have to `be moved in the direction of the fixed support 60. The

'step by step or continuous displacement of these bearing A Isupports60aand 60b is effected in synchronism with the `advancing movement ofthegirder sections3a, 3b.Y ItV 1is evident from the discharge of thedriving shafts 47 l,and 47 shown' in FIG. V40, to what extent thebearing supports 60a, 60h are adapted to be displaced on the guide .bed59. f

Analtern'ative device to the one shown in FIGS. 39

and 40 is shown in FIG. 41 and consists in a bearing sup-` shapes 111 bymeans of curved girders. 113 and 114 which rollers 105 need not bedriven; it suices for them to be t in the form of guide rollers. The twogirder sections 3a, 3b are first manually tacked together at the endwith the .maximum depth of web, they are then moved automatically in acontinuous or step by step manner.` The conveying roller 45 of the fixedsupport 60 besides the rollers 45, 46 -alone takes over the continuedconveying since, due to the previous tacking, the whole honeycomb girderis shifted, even if the conveying rollers and 46 `act upon one girdersection 3a only.

i It is explained with reference to FIG. 42, how honeycomb girders canbe produced,` one end of which is tapered outwardly. According to` thisexample the two girder sections 3a, 3b are individually or mutuallypassed through the guiding device 60 without these girders being weldedtogether. If extension webs 6 are to be Welded in, it is possible forthem to be previously connected rigidly with the girder section 3amanually or automatically. The freely protruding end of the girdersection 3b is then bent at an angle sideways, by means of a pressurecylinder 106, pressure rollers 108, which are connected with piston 107acting upon the flange of the .girder section 3b. Bending of this girdersection 3b is effected about a roller 109'. The web plates 6a, 6b 6c aremanually welded to the girder section 3b, whereupon the girder iscompleted in accordance with the methods de'- scribed- The pressurecylinders 106, can moreover, by means of the links 109, be set in anyinclined posit-ion.

The production of curved girders of the type shown in.

FIG. 11 is advantageously effected with a device of the type shown inFIGS. 43v to 44. Several block-like shapes 111 are mounted on a workingplate 110 between each of are provided fbetween two opposite parallelshapes 111.

These shapes 111 'are mounted lin an arcuate line which` corresponds tothe subsequent shape of the'girders 3a,

3b to be welded, the distance between the shapes 111` being sodimensioned as to enable the webs 5 of the girder sections 3a, 3b to beintroduced into this free space. These girder sections 3a, 3b are nowpressed into the are driven by means of hydraulic or pneumatic presses115, 116. At first the curved girder 114 is advanced in the direction ofthe shapes'lllgcausing the center region of the girder, section 3b todeiiect. Pressure stirrups 117 are connected with the curved girder 114,the front ends of the stirrup `acting upon thegange of the girdersection 3a. As the ends of this girder section 3a are held against stops118, the `centre region of the girder section 3a, when the curved girder114 is advanced, is moved to beyond the shapes 111, whereupon thislgirder section 3a is pressed on to the working plate 110. t It is nowpossible for both curved girders 113 to be moved further in thedirection of the shapes 111 until the websA of the girder sect-ions 3a,3b arrive inthe .free spaces between the shapes and finally are situatedopposite one another` in register. The curved girder can now be lweldedtogether.` FIG. '45, by way of a complementary view, also shows V.themounting of the pressure stirrups 117 on the z curved girder 114, thispressure stirrup 117 being mounted so -as to be pivoted about a point120. A bore 119 servesl the rigid fixing of the stirrup 117 on thecurved girder 114. Over and above this it is advisable to provide sep`arate -centering elements in the center of the row yot shapes 111 or onthe shaping girders 113, 114 to allow the girder sections 3a, 3b to findtheir way more readily into the gaps between the blocks.

If it is desired to save using lifting cylinders 115, 116 as shown inFIG. 43, it is possible for the individual honeycomb girder section 3b'to be held on one side by means of clamping brackets 166 on a shapinggirder 114 and on the other side to be deflected by means of a block land tackle 167 (FIG. 46). It is also possible for blocks and tackles tobe provided on eitherl side.

. FIG. 41 moreover shows the general conception of producing with asingle shaping girder 114 curved girder sectlons 3a, 3b having differentradii of curvature `or `curvatures deviating from circular shape, by theinser` circular arrangement to be actuated until the desired shape ofcurved girder has been formed. The roller pairs' 135 are thus connectedwith the means of girders 169.

It is also possible to arrange. the roller pairs in a circular or curvedtrack, for which purpose the roller pairs 135 are adjustably'guided inradial slots 169' of a supporting device (FIG. 49). Between theindividual roller pairs it is possible to provide bridges 170 includingfurther articulatedly arranged guide rollers'135. The two girdersections 3a, 3b are tacked together at one end at 171 before beingintroduced into the roller track 135, 135. The outer girder section 3bat this end iS provided with a runner-shapedvangle 172, which ensuresthat the girder sections slides reliably along the outer rollers 135'.`The attached girder sections with one pull can now, for example, bymeans of the pulling chain 173, be drawn pistons of the cylinders bythrough the roller track 135, 135. It is also possible for In the eventof lifting cylinders of the kind shown in FIG. 47 being used it ispossible in accordance with FIG. 48 to operate in multistage manner. Acylinder 136 is displaceably guided on the working device and adapted toactuate, via a trestle 176, the roller pairs 135 in which the girdersections 3a, 3b are guided. The displaceable cylinder 136 is connectedwith a second stationary lifting cylinder 174 by means of a connectingrod 175. It is however also possible to use cylinders with-pistons oftelescopic design.

In the event of a welding line not being parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the girder it is preferred to use welding devices of the typeshown in FIGS. 50 to 52. In FIG. 66 the case is assumed that a curvedgirder is to be welded, a rail track 125 being provided alongside theworking table a bogie 123 being adapted to roll, by means of the wheels124 along the track 125. The welding device 38 is adapted to betransversely displaceable on this bogie 123 by means of a carriage 121and wheels 122, so that the carriage can be transversely displacedduring the movement of the bogie 123.

An alternative to this movement is shown in FIG. 51, it being assumedthat motor 129 is mounted on the bogie 123, a spindle 128 which ismounted in the pedestal bearing 132 being adapted to be turned via gears130, 131 of the motor. The welding device 38, by wayof the stirrup 127,is mounted on the one side on this spindle 128 and n the other side isadapted to be axially displaced via a bearing nut 127 when this spindleis rotated. For this purpose it is advisable to provide the spindle witha buttress thread and to secure the stirrup against tilting.

In the event of the welding seam extending parallel to the longitudinaldirection of the welding direction and another welding seam having tobelaid at an angle'thereto, the arrangement shown in FIG. 52 providesfor a fixed welding device and for a welding device 38 adapted to bedisplaced at right angles, which is adjustable at the slide 126 by meansof a separate drive. Such an embodiment is suitable, in particular, forwelding taper-ing honeycomb girders with inserted web plates 6 of thetype shown in FIG. 7.

It is also possible however to provide supports having guide rails inthe form of suspension tracks for moving the welding unit.

Complementary to the elements shown in the figures, reference is made tothe fact that it is also possible to connect a milling cutter with theguiding device 60 or the welding, device 38, with which to mill theedges of the webs of the girder sections 3a, 3b before these web edgesare welded together. It is moreover possible for a sandblast apparatusand a spraying device to be connected to this guiding and weldingdevice, wherein the welded girders are completedhready for marketing.

When cutting solid-web girders 1 it may occur that the cutting line 2(FIG. 1) extends laterally and is inaccurate. This inaccurate cuttingline would have to be followed by the welding head 38 in order to obtaina reliable weld.

For this reason a centering device 144 is provided in FIGS. 53-55, whichoperates in advance of the movement of the welding head 38 thus settinga guide track 143 of the welding -unit into the correct position. Hereinthere is provided at least one rotatably mounted disc 177 which, when atrestle 178 is displaced, moves into the gap between the webs 5 of twogirder sections. Thus a plate 179, provided with the guide track 143, isadjusted according to the position of the gap relative to a fixed base180 by means of guide wheels 181. As soon as the discs 177 have passedthe gap, cross-bars 179' are tightened thus permitting the welding unit38 to be moved along the straightened guide track 143 via similar guidewheels 181'. It is however also possible for the discs 177 to beconnected with the welding unit 38 so that the latter can also be guidedduring the movement thereof.

There is shownv moreover how the welding seam is formed advantageouslyin order to carry out a high quality welding. As shown in FIGS. 56 and57 itis explained that it is an advantage for the start 139 and the end140 of the welding seam to be welded at half the welding cu-rrent powerand at half the feeding rate of the welding head 38, whereas the longercentre portion 138 of the welding seam is pliantly produced. It isherewith recommended to pass repeatedly over the start and end Wellingpoints 139, 140, for example, w-ith a circulating motion, and ifnecessary to lift it slightly repeatedly. The advantage of these stepsconsists in preventing 4the penetration of the welding seam and theformation of craters.

FIG. 58 shows, by way of example, how this movemen-t of the welding head38 can be carried out in Aaccordance with FIGS. 56 an-d 57. On a bogi-e141 which moves by means of guide wheels 37 and the rollers 37 on thegirder sections 3a, 3b or'ony a separate guide tra-ck, there is arrangeda couple gearing 137 comprising a crank 182, pinion 184 and an electricmotor r185, on the couple of which the welding unit 38 is mounted. Thiscouple gearing 137 is actu-ated when the welding headis located over thestarting points 139 and 140 of the welding seam (FIGS. 56 and 57). Thebogfie may thus remain inoperative or also have Ia slow possiblyreciprocating feed movement imparted thereto. Moreover the welding headmay carry out a circulatory or oval closed movement path and adapted bymeans of la cam to be readily raise-d and lowered.

On the bogie.f14'1 moreover there is arranged the driving motor 142 fordriving the wheels 37 and rollers 37. In addition thereto adjustablestops 186 and counter-contacts 187 are provided which serve theautomatic control of the advance and reverse of the bogie 141. Suchstops may also be provided with advantage in -other welding unitconstructions.

It is shown by Wayof FIGS. 59-6l, that it is .possible for honeycombgirders to be assembled from strip metal and welded together. In FIG. 59there is shown how obliquely led chord strips 147, 148 and a web strip149 is separated in the `manner of FIG. l is divided into the stripsections 3a and 3b' The chord strips 147, 148 are guided by rollers 146and 190, which can be adjusted in accordance with the inclination ofthese strips. The web stripsr3a.' and 3b are guided by means of theroller pairs 191 and guide rollers 192 and 193, the roller 193simultaneously forming the clearance between the web strips 3a', 3b. Theinclination of the chord str-ips 147, 148 is significant when, afterwelding on one side, shrink-age stresses are to be feared. The inclinedposition then approximately corresponds to the extent of distortion `ofthe strips to be expected after shrinkage.

FIGS. 60 and `6l show diagrammaticaily in side elevation and plan anoverall plant for producing such girders it being assumed thatl thechord strip-s 147, 148 are wound Off drums 150 a-nd 151 and lthe webstrip 149 not yet sepa- -rated from a drum 152. rIhe welding unit 153,which in known manner separates the web strip 149 along the line 2 isguided on a .separate guide track. One web strip 3a is then raised orlowered and led away to the side by the rol-1ers 154 to such an extentthat the web section 5 (-see FIG. 3) is Iaxially transposed. The lateralleading Ioff and separation of the two web sections may be effectedconveniently by means of slanted guide rollers. The strips 147 and 149are then lead together in Vaccordance with FIG. 59 and introduced intothe welding unit 38, which first effects the welding at one or twopositions from above. The strips welded at one side are then turnedthrough in rollers 155, whereupon the underside, which is now turnedface upwards, is welded in the welding device 38. FIG. 60 to simplifyillustration, .shows the turning of the laminae 147 to 149 in anextremely shortened View. The endless honeycomb girder is then cut rintolengths. It is also possible for the -girder to be cut already afterpassing through the first welding unit 38 and then to carry out thesecond welding operation. The particular advantage of th-is -deviceconsists in the yfac-t that the cutting device 153 can be put out ofoperation and solid-web girders without honeycomb form-ation to beproduced with any cross- 1 section from metal strips. FIGS. 62 and 63show that the invention is not limited absolutely to the apparatus andmeasures described in the drawing. It is also possible to straighten theindividual l girder sections 3a and 3b in a straightening machineconstan-t'ly available in steel Works, in order then t-o arrange them onthe supporting trestle. FIG. -67 thus provides clamping means 197 bymeans of which each individual girder section 3a, 3b is clamped at oneend. At the side I of the arranged girder section 3a, 3b there is alroller track 194 along which a welding -device 195 is adapted to rollby means of wheels 196.

Within the frame 1-95 there lare provided further rollers 199 which,when the frame 195 is displaced, engage on the anges of the girdersections 3a, 3b and align them parallel to one another. Finally a buttwelding machine 198 l is arranged in the frame 195 (FIG.'7) composed oftwo oppositely acting pistons through which the welding current isconducted. lPhe welding unit 195 in this example l i-s progressivelyadvanced and thus .to such an extent that the pistons are on the samelevel with the web sections 5. 1 The pistons 198 are then urged vagainstthe flanges of the l girder sections 3a, 3b `and the welding currentconducted therethrough. This causes intense welding at :the point of jconnection of the web sections 5. FIG. 63 moreover 1 show-s that thegirder sections 3a, 3b are placed on a frame j 200 and secured againsttilting. Furtheralternatives'become evident from FIGS. 64-74. Thefundamental conception of these figures, vconsists in ,l the fact thatthe individual web section-s 5' are bent sideways and thus in differentdirections, thus creating columnar girders. As shown in FIG. 64 it ispossible for a i ange plate 217 to be fitted at either end of thesecolumnar t, girders. It is shown, moreover, that the web sections are rwelded to one another Iat points 201.

FIG. 65 is based on a normal h-oneycomb -girder of the type shown inFIG. 3, at either lend face of which is welded a girder section 3a', 3bhaving bent-over web section 5'. An additional bracing of honeycombcolumnar girders Iconstructed in .this Way can thus be brought about bythe fact that additional tubes 202 or other profiles are attached at thewelding positions 201, the web sections 5 being twelded thereto. In theexample shown in FIG. 68 an individual girder section 3a with itsbent-over web sections 5, is welded to lthe underside of a U-sectiongirder 204 which can be provided or coated with a concrete filling 205.

As shown in FIG. 6'7 it is possible for the profile 204 to besubstituted merely by Ia hat plate 203. 1 A preferred embodiment shownin FIG. 69 consists on the fact that the bent-over web sections 5 of agirder section 3a is connected with rectilinear girder sections 3a gand3b, a U-section girder 206, also designed as a honeyjcomb girder, beingconnected between these rectilinear gi-rder sections 3a, 3b. I FIG. 70shows an alternative to FIG. 68, it bein-g asisurned that in place ofthe U-section girder 204, a tube 207 is connected with the web sections5 of the girder secftion 3a'. p It is possible more-over to constructbox girders of the type shown in FIGS. 71-73. As starting material therelis used in this case -a girder section 3a and 3b which @has beenobtained from a Z-section or U-section honeycomb girder. It is shownherein that two opposite web sec- 'tion'plairs 5 at a time, arealternately bent outwardly `and inwardly (5"), thus creating a 'boxgirder as shown in TFIG. 72. In accordance with FIG. 73, it is howeveralso possible for the individual girder sections 3a" and 3b to beconnected with a solid-web .girder 208. FIG. 74 shows how the individualweb sections 5' can ,the bent-over in a die press, it being assumed thatthe press is arranged in .ff-ront of the welding device. An upper 12 die210 vand 'a lower die 209 are herewith provided with a profiling whichcorresponds to the' bevel of the individual` The girder sections 3a, 3bare also lat-l with the upper die 210 which, when the die 210 descends,`

come to rest on the web of the `-girder sections 3a, 3b and cllamp itdown, whereupon |the upper die 210 during the continued descent eliectsthe bending-over. The holding down devices 212 are guided in the upperdie 210 by means of bolts 214 and by means of springs 213 resilientlymounted. The upper dief210 is adapted to be raised and lowered in thebearing 211.

I claim:

1. A honeycomb girder comprising a pair of girder sections each havingan undulating web portion of generally toothed configuration withrespective ion-gitudinaltly odset projections extending in the directionof the other girder section, said web portions :being coplanar andspaced apart, at leastalong afportion `of the lengths of said sectionswith some of the juxtaposed projections being separated fromone another'by la distance greater than that betweenothers of said projections, andindividualV spacer plates of progressively varying width disposedbetween'and welded to respective pairs of spaced juxtaposed projections,one `off said sections diverging from said other of said sections only:along a limited portion of the length ofsaid section and only at anextremity of the honeycornbed girder.

2. The girder defined in claim 1 wherein said sections are substantiallyparallel over the remainder off their lengths.

3. A honeycomb -girder comprising a pair of girder sections each havingan undulating web portion of generazlly toothed conligurationwithrespective longitudinally olset projections extending in the directionof the other gir-der section, said web portions being coplanar andspaced apart at least along a portion of t-he lengths of said sectionswith some of the juxtaposed projections being separated from oneyanother by a distance greater than' that between others of saidprojections, and individual spacer plates of progressively varying Widthdisposedbetween and welded to respective pairs of spaced juxta,

toothed configuration with respectivelongitudinally olset projectionsextending in the direction of the;`

other lgirder section; (b) shifting said sections relatively rin alongitudinal direction iby a distance equal substantially to the spacingbetween said projections to bring the projection off said sections intosubstantial juxtaposition; (c) advancing said sections simultaneouslyalong a predetermined generally longitudinal transport path; (d)gradual-ly spreading said sections apart at a location along said pathto separate at least some of the juxtaposed projections from one.another -by a distance greater than that` between others of saidjuxtaposed projections;

(e) successively inserting individual spacer plates of progressivelyvarying widths between respective pairs of spaced juxtaposedprojections; and

(f) welding said plates to both projections of the respective pair.

5. The method dened in claim 4 wherein sai-d sections are spread in step(d) by deiecting at least one of said 13 sections alternately tow-ardand away from the other of said sections during movement of saidsections along said transport path.

6. The method defined in claim 4 wherein said sections are spread apartin step (d) only along a limited portion of their lengths, said sectionsbeing substantially parallel along the remainder of their lengths.

7. The method defined in claim 4 wlherein said transport path isarcuate.

8. The method defined fin claim 4, (further comprising the steps ofwelding reinforcing bars to sai'dvsections at least along the flanks ofsaid .projections and along said Webs intermediate said projections.

14 References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/ 1927 Mofyer29-155 12/ 1929 Lao'hrnan 52'-636 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1931 France. 12/1952 Germany.

1/ 1939 Great Britain. 638,689 6/ 1950 Great Britain. 680,022 10/ 1952Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. R. S. VERMUT, Assistant Examiner.

1. A HONEYCOMB GIRDER COMPRISING A PAIR OF GIRDER SECTIONS EACH HAVINGAN UNDULATING WEB PORTION OF GENERALLY TOOTHED CONFIGURATION WITHRESPECTIVE LONGITUDINALLY OFFSET PROJECTIONS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTIONOF THE OTHER GIRDER SECTION, SAID WEB PORTIONS BEING COPLANAR AND SPACEDAPART, AT LEAST ALONG A PORTION OF THE LENGTHS OF SAID SECTIONS WITHSOME OF THE JUXTAPOSED PROJECTIONS BEING SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY ADISTANCE GREATER THAN THAT BETWEEN OTHERS OF SAID PROJECTIONS, ANDINDIVIDUAL SPACER PLATES OF PROGRESSIVELY VARYINGS WIDTH DISPOSEDBETWEEN AND WELDED TO RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF SPACED JUXTAPOSED PROJECTIONS,ONE OF SAID SECTIONS DIVERGING FROM SAID OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS ONLYALONG A LIMITED PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID SECTION AND ONLY AT ANEXTREMITY OF THE HONEYCOMBED GIRDER.